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1904 Society for Horticulture of France silver medal for A Cauchois mushrooms

1904 Society for Horticulture of France silver medal for A Cauchois mushrooms
Photo Credit: terranumis

1904 Society for Horticulture of France silver medal for A Cauchois mushrooms

Buy It Now Price: $199.99 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a stunning vermeil (gold plating over sold silver) medal awarded in 1904 to Monsieur Alphonse Cauchois for prize mushrooms by the French National Horticulture Society.

-The medal features a semi-nude, female personification of horticulture on the obverse and a wreath with presentation inscription on the reverse.

-This medal is very large, measuring 58 millimeters (2.28 inches) in diameter and weighing 87.5 grams (2.81 troy ounces).  It is hallmarked on the edge with a cornucopia – indicating the piece was struck at the Paris mint – and the French word “Argent” (silver).

-The silver medal comes with its antique, custom-fit box and also the original horticulture award document!  The combination of these two accessories is extraordinary and boosts the medal’s value significantly.

-The style of this medal is nothing short of magnificent.  The classical design is rendered in stunningly high relief, particularly the agricultural-themed wreath on the reverse.  Grapes, pumpkins, squash and flowers delight the eye as they burst from the wreath.  This is among the finest pre-World War I French art medals that I have seen.

-The silver medal was designed by the well-known French sculpture and engraver Alfred Borrel.  Born in 1836 and dying in 1927, he was artistically active from the mid 19th century to the very early 20th century.

– The $200 asking price is downright cheap considering the exceptional design and condition of the medal, along with the original case and supporting document.

 

Cons:

-The subject matter of horticulture – and mushrooms in particular – has relatively modest popularity in collecting circles.  This could potentially limit the desirability of the piece.  However, the medal is so superior in every other way that I don’t believe this is a major drawback.

-Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell from the hallmarks whether this piece is French 1st standard (950 fine silver) or 2nd standard (800 fine silver).  This concern is more or less academic because the difference in bullion value between the two standards is only $6.32 for the medal (with spot silver at $15 a troy ounce).

-There are even larger French silver medals available.  A general rule of thumb with art medals is the bigger the better, all else being equal.  This is not much of a con though.  At 87.5 grams, this medal is already very large and very impressive.

Lovely Medieval Illuminated Manuscript Book of Hours Leaf Circa 1420 – Gold, Prayers

Lovely Medieval Illuminated Manuscript Book of Hours Leaf Circa 1420 - Gold, Prayers
Photo Credit: leaves-of-old

Lovely Medieval Illuminated Manuscript Book of Hours Leaf Circa 1420 – Gold, Prayers

Buy It Now Price: $789.99 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a marvelous medieval illuminated manuscript leaf from a book of hours created in Paris circa 1420 to 1440.  Paris was an important center for illuminated manuscript production late in the medieval period.

-This leaf is made from parchment which is processed animal hide that is surprisingly durable.  It measures 197 millimeters (7.76 inches) tall by 120 millimeters (4.72 inches) wide.  This specimen is in excellent condition, despite being almost 600 years old.

-This is a beautiful, relatively affordable, high-quality example of medieval European art.  There are certainly cheaper medieval illuminated manuscript leaves out there, but they will be less intricately decorated and lack the same “Wow!” factor that clearly sets this example apart.  All in all, I would judge the $790 asking price for this piece to be easily justified.

-This particular leaf came from a Book of Hours – the personal prayer book of a wealthy and devout man (or woman).  It has 15 lines of Latin text on the front and 10 lines on the reverse rendered in dark brown ink.  Medieval Latin was the common European language of the Catholic Church, intellectuals and writers during this period.

-The illumination on this leaf is exceptional, displaying vibrant red, blue, green and gold decoration.  The illuminated initials – “D” on the obverse and “F” on the reverse – are particularly ornate and richly adorned.  The panel border is a lavish rinceau (sinuous floral) pattern that is heavily illuminated with burnished gold.

-The front of this leaf reads as follows (translated from Latin): “O God the giver of pardon, and the lover of human salvation, we beseech thy clemency: that thou grant the brethren of our congregation, kinsfolk, and benefactors, which are departed out of this world, blessed Mary ever virgin making intercession with all the saints, to come to the fellowship of eternal blessedness.”

-The back of this leaf reads as follows (translated from Latin): “O God the creator, and redeemer of all the faithful, give unto the souls of thy servants’ men, and women remission of all their sins: that through Godly supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always wished for. Who livest and reignest. Through Christ our Lord, Amen”

 

Cons:

– This illuminated manuscript leaf does not have any illustrations.  Illustrated pages are more desirable than pages that are merely decorated.  Of course, a finely illustrated page from a medieval illuminated manuscript is also substantially more expensive, with good examples rarely available for less than a few thousand dollars.

-This is a late medieval work.  Early medieval illuminated manuscripts are less common and consequently bring somewhat higher prices, all else being equal.

Japanese Edo-Meiji Period Maki-e Lacquer Kogo (incense box)

Japanese Edo-Meiji Period Maki-e Lacquer Kogo (incense box)
Photo Credit: Dezima-Antiques from Kyushu

Japanese Edo-Meiji Period Maki-e Lacquer Kogo (incense box)

Buy It Now Price: $580 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a stunningly beautiful Japanese lacquer kogo, or incense box, from the Edo or Meiji period. There is more on this attribution below in the “cons” section. The box measures 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) by 2.3 inches (5.9 centimeters) by 0.8 inches (2.1 centimeters). It weighs 1.7 ounces (47 grams).

-It uses maki-e (gold dust) and raden (inlaid mother of pearl) decoration against a chocolate brown lacquer background. Naturalistic scenes – in this case two butterflies hovering above a profusion of wildflowers – are a common theme in Japanese art.

-This lacquer kogo comes with its original, well-patinaed wooden storage box! This is quite a coup, considering the age of the piece. An original box always raises the price and desirability of an antique.

 

Cons:

–Antique or vintage Japanese lacquerware can be notoriously difficult to date correctly. Although the seller purports that this lacquerware box is late Edo or early Meiji period (circa 1860 to 1880), I find that attribution unlikely. The cross-hatched, linear mother of pearl inlay is clearly influenced by Art Deco style, something not found in 19th century works. I think it much more probable that this is a Taisho or early Showa era lacquer box from the 1920s or 1930s. There is a possibility the piece could be of post World War II vintage as well. Happily, this potential misattribution does not significantly impact pricing or desirability.

-This lacquerware box has minor wear around the rim where the two separate sections meet. It is not severe and is therefore acceptable given the age and quality of the item.

-The lacquer-work on this box is of a very high caliber, with tremendous attention to detail. However, the piece is also rather small, with its greatest dimension only being 3 inches (7.5 centimeters). While undoubtedly an investment grade piece, its desirability is slightly reduced by its small size. Taking this into account, the asking price of $580 still seems fair, though.

Set of Twelve Wallace Nautical Sterling Spoons – Clam Shells

Set of Twelve Wallace Nautical Sterling Spoons - Clam Shells
Photo Credit: silverperfect

Set of Twelve Wallace Nautical Sterling Spoons – Clam Shells

Buy It Now Price: $475 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is an exquisite set of 12 sterling silver teaspoons in a unique, clam and nautical-themed design. Each spoon is 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) long.

-This set was produced in the late 19th or very early 20th century by the respected American company Wallace Silversmiths. It is fully hallmarked with the Wallace Silversmiths maker’s mark and the word “sterling”.

-Wallace Silversmiths was known for its high-quality, 3-dimensional silver patterns and this nautical themed set of teaspoons does not disappoint. Mussels, barnacles and clams are quite literally encrusted along the entire length of the utensil handle – both front and back. Even the bowl of the spoon is fashioned to look like half a clam shell. The overall effect is stunning.

-You won’t find this clam pattern in any standard reference book on American silver manufacturers. This is a rare, unnamed pattern, produced only in very, very limited quantities. In fact, I’ve never seen this nautical-themed pattern previously. The only unifying characteristic I’ve discovered for these exceedingly rare American patterns is that they are invariably of the highest quality and finest craftsmanship.

 

Cons:

-The seller does not disclose the weight of the spoons. This is a minor quibble because this set is worth many times it bullion value. You are primarily buying the artistic execution here, not the silver. Having said that, I estimate that each teaspoon probably contains around 0.5 troy ounces (15.5 grams) of fine silver. This would give the entire set an estimated bullion value of about $90, based on $15 a troy ounce silver.

-The teaspoons are monogrammed on the inside of the bowl. Some silver collectors dislike monograms and avoid them when possible. However, I don’t believe monograms detract from an item’s desirability or impact its value significantly.

-The asking price of $475 is ever so slightly on the high side. Although this is an exceedingly beautiful and rare set of sterling silver teaspoons, I would still feel more comfortable with a price around $400. Of course, if you let this set slip through your fingers at $475, you could potentially spend a lifetime trying to track down another example.